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May 06, 2015
The Troubling Historical Context of European funded Breaking the Silence
The release of a United Nations [UN] report on the deaths of Gazan civilians in UN shelters during the summer 2014 war between Israel and Hamas has served as the launching pad for another campaign to smear Israel. Breaking the Silence, a group that travels the world undermining Israel's moral standing by presenting alleged testimonies of Israeli soldiers committing unconscionable acts against Palestinian civilians, is saturating news outlets with articles promoting its 240-page report consisting of testimonials alleging Israeli cruelty and reckless disregard for the safety of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Breaking the Silence is funded by a roster of organizations that seek to undermine Israel's moral standing and force it into making concessions that would leave it vulnerable. Among the major donors are the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the European Union, several European Catholic organizations, including the German-based Miseroer and Flemish-based Broederlijk Delen, George Soros's Open Society, and a number of organizations funded by the far-left New Israel Fund. These organizations fund a bevy of groups dedicated to defaming and undermining the Jewish state. A Swiss organization, Pro Victimis claims that its special emphasis is addressing violence against women. But somehow it found 273,000 NIS to donate to Breaking the Silence.
The Norwegian, Flemish and German representations to groups that smear the only sovereign Jewish state is troubling when one recalls the historical context; This is especially so concerning the involvement of Catholic Church affiliated groups. There is a seamy underside to the history of Church dealings with Europe's Jews, involving the enlistment of disaffected Jews who were willing to villify and bear false witness against the Jewish community for self-serving reasons.
There is also more recent history. Aside from the obvious German link, Norway and Belgium were notable for collaborationist tendencies during World War II. Despite their relatively small populations, sufficient numbers of volunteers from both countries enabled the formation of entire SS divisions, suggesting a fertile soil for anti-Jewish animus among elements of the populations in both countries. In Belgium, the Flemish contributed a number of SS units, although it was from the French-speaking Walloons that the most fanatical SS foreign auxiliaries were drawn in 1945, led by the founder of the Catholic fascist Rexist party. Is this just distant history or is their still a deeply rooted animus lurking just beneath the surface that passes itself off as Christian humanitarian concern for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank?
As has been noted in this blog many times before, the Palestinians in the West Bank and even in Gaza are not anywhere near the most deprived or suffering group in the Middle East. With unmitigated atrocities occurring all over the region, the unchanging focus of these so-called humanitarian groups on alleged Israeli actions, backed up by vast funds handed over to groups that engage in overt political agitation against the region's only functioning democracy, is morally indefensible.
Posted by SS at May 6, 2015 10:23 AM
Comments
Could you imagine the outcry if Israel interfered in any of these countries in the same way? Perhaps we should.
Posted by: David Guy at May 6, 2015 07:27 PM
The latest Breaking The Silence report is highly problematic in terms of its methods and output. But it is unworthy for you to challenge the European funders by resurrecting issues of second world war anti-semitism. Surely you can find stronger arguments. I find arguments about the 1940s convince no-one in the middle ground, and sound desperate.
Posted by: andrew white at May 7, 2015 02:12 PM
The portions of the text that claims to prove the IDF purposely waged war against civilians last summer is replete with self-contradictions. At one point the "Solider" claims they were ordered to fire on a civilian structure but disobeyed orders and saved the civilians instead.
But it reads like self-serving testimony that only proves the Israeli soldier does have a conscience, it is hard to believe a Hamas terrorist would hesitate to kill civilians.
The fact Israel was better able to defend itself from Hamas attempts to mass murder Jews last summer seems to be the real complaint underlying the accusations leveled at the IDF.
The intent by Hamas to put civilians (In Hamas parlance "Martyrs") is also a fact ignored by the antisemitic reports manufactured in Europe.
The Troubling Historical Context of European funded Breaking the Silence
This is a vibrant echo of Kerry's machinations after his service in Vietnam. Politically driven and self-serving, Kerry leveled indictments at Vietnam Veterans to further his own political career. Kerry claimed to witness numerous crimes against humanity committed by his fellow brothers in arms yet he did nothing to stop them.
There is something suspicious about this and in the context promoted by the "European Antisemitic Union". Did they take a leaf from the Kerry page?
Posted by: jeb stuart at May 10, 2015 07:47 AM
A great response to Breaking the Silence by Israeli soldier.
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2015/05/soldier-describes-how-immoral-hamas-is.html
Soldier describes how immoral Hamas is
May 4, 2015
Posted by: Ken Kelso at May 10, 2015 10:46 AM
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